A young boy and his governess walk through the packed halls. She holds his small hand with care as she pulls him through the crowds. People stand around looking at large paintings on the walls. Om another hall, marble statues of men stand on plinths and look down at the heads of the visitors.

The boy looks mainly at the feet and coat hems of those he passes. He admires the shiny buckles of the young men and the worn leather boots of the older gentlemen. There are few women, but the ones he sees have floor-silk skirts, edged with brocade. He likes the colours they wear; the stand out in the crowds of grey suits, like flowers in a mist.

They come to a standstill in front of a large oil painting, where a nude lady lounges on a bed. The boy looks p at his governess and giggles and she scolds him gently. She points out a small dog curled up next to the lady. It looks like the schoolmaster's dog and he tell her so, and now she giggles.

The small brass plaque on the frames is dull with age but he can read the artist's name: Titian. The governess takes his hand once more and they are on into the next hall.